Guide to Camera Shopping in Hong Kong

Ever since I got bitten by the photography bug, I have been shooting quite regularly and hence took the opportunity to go camera gear shopping on my recent trip to Hong Kong. I have heard that the prices are 10-30% cheaper, faster in terms of new model launches and the range of accessories much wider than Singapore. So I set out to get my beloved Nikky (my Nikon D7100) more friends…and I wasn’t disappointed. Hong Kong is a camera buff’s heaven (of course the top place for me would be Japan)! I was quite clueless, hence I did a little research before I went, so sharing my own humble experience of photography shopping here…hope this would make your shopping trip to Hong Kong a little more interesting – and painless :)

1. Do your own research before you go. Know what you are interested to get and find out the prices from your local retailers or online so you can compare prices, and if it’s worth hand-carrying the gear back – forget it if the price difference is just a few dollars, save that space for better shopping (think yummy HK confectionery).
2. Ask around on your social networks and read up on photography forums to find out which are the bigger and trustworthy shops in Hong Kong you can go to. I found this compilation of Hong Kong camera shops on Clubsnap a life-saver. It’s last updated in 2010, but most of the shops are still there. These links are pretty good resources as well (do let me know if you know of more good HK camera resources to add on!):
   Hong Kong Camera Hunter Pt.2 – Shamshuipo & Mongkok
   Hong Kong Camera Hunter Pt.3 – The last day
3. Most of the camera shops are concentrated in Mongkok, and generally open from 11:00AM till 10:00PM.
4. My strategy was to visit 3 stores for a price comparison before making a decision. I ended up visiting more than 3 stores, and these are the recommended stores (which I bought from):
   • Tin Cheung
     I find the service and product range here the best. Their prices may be slightly higher (but still competitive) than Wing Shing for some products, but if you tell them the prices, it may be possible for them to match them. They are also well-stocked in terms of accessories such as filters, camera bags, tripods – I was drooling and drooling over a neon-coloured Billingham bag…and another plaid bag…and another… :p

     Tin Cheung Camera (天祥攝影器材) (Main Store)
     尖沙咀河內道 18 號 K11講物藝術館33樓301鋪
     Shop 301, 3/F, K11 shopping mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
     Opening hour: (Mon-Sat: 11:00AM to 8:00PM / Sun: 12:00PM to 6:00PM)
     Tel: (852) 2722 1265
     E-mail: info@tincheungcamera.com.hk
     Website: http://www.tincheungcamera.com.hk/
     MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui
     Look for: MattTin Cheung Camera (天祥攝影器材公司) (Branch)
     旺角山東街 47-51 號星際城市一樓 120-122 & 136號鋪
     Shop 120-122 & 136, 1/F, Sim City, 47-51 Shan Tung Street, Mongkok, Kowloon
     Tel: (852) 2722 1255 / (852) 2722 1488
     Opening hour: 12:00PM to 10:00PM (includes Sundays and Public Holidays)
     MTR: Mongkok Exit D2

   • Wing Shing/Man Shing Photo Supplies
     Wing Shing and Man Shing are the biggest players of camera shops in Hong Kong, and they are owned by the same company. The prices they quote are the same as well, so if you asked one store, I suppose there’s no need to check with another store since they are all reading off the same sales system. The staff are a bit distant, and just rattle off the prices rather than strike up a conversation with you. That said, they are efficient and works well if you just wanna get and go.Wing Shing Photo Supplies (永成攝影器材) (Flagship)
     旺角花園街 91-95 號地下（旗艦店）
     G/F, 91-95 Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok, Kowloon
     Tel: (852) 2396 6885 / (852) 2191 5915
     Opening hour: 10:00AM to 9:30PM
     E-mail: info@wingshingphoto.com
     Website: http://www.wingshingphoto.com
     MTR: Mongkok Exit D3

     Wing Shing Photo Supplies (永成攝影器材) (Branch)
     旺角西洋菜街 55-57 號地下
     G/F., 55-57 Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mongkok, Kowloon
     Tel: (852) 2396 6886
     Opening hour: 10:00AM to 10:00PM
     MTR: Mongkok Exit D3
     Look for: Ms. Suki
     
     Man Shing Photo Supplies(萬成攝影器材)
     旺角通菜街 104-106 號地下
     G/F, 104-106 Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, Kowloon
     Opening hour: 10:00AM to 9:30PM
     Tel: (852) 2396 2996
     E-mail: info@manshingphoto.com
     Website: http://www.manshingphoto.com
     MTR: Mongkok Exit D3

   • Fortress (豐澤)
     Fortress, together with Broadway, are Hong Kong’s major electronics stores. Surprisingly, while the prices are supposedly retail pricing, they offered the best price for my wide angle lens. The service is superb – even when I brought back my lens to clean off some dirt the next day (they gave me a free cleaning kit too). Plus the sales staff are kinda cute-looking, heh :p荷李活商業中心分店
     Shop G7-G12, 610 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon
     旺角彌敦道 610 號荷李活商業中心地下 G7 – G12 號舖
     Tel: (852) 3165 1370
     Opening Hours: (Mon to Fri: 11:30AM to 11:00PM / Sat, Sun, Public Holidays: 11:00AM to 11:00PM)
     Website: http://www.fortress.com.hk
     Look for: Penny (guy)
   • Digi@Co.
     This shop specialises in Sony camera equipment. They offered the best price on the latest Sony lens I helped a friend to buy. You can contact them first to check stock availability if you are interested to get anything from there. Sim City is also a good place to get your 3rd-party camera gear and mobile phone accessories, but do exercise caution (always know what you are buying and the pricing).Shop 204, Sim City, 47-51 Shan Tung St., Mongkok, Kowloon
     Tel: (852) 2782 6289; 9018 8591
     Email: cengiz888@gmail.com
     Look for: Cengiz Yung
5. After you confirm your purchase, test the equipment before you hand over your credit card. Make sure the serial number on the warranty card and model matches so the warranty is valid back in your home country. Also ask if the warranty is local or international, and if it can be converted to an international warranty so you can still bring it to the service center in your country if s*** happens.
6. Don’t buy on impulse! Know what you want, and get just what you want even when the salesperson tries to suggest additional lenses, filters, etc. (unless you are familiar with the brands/prices, or have too much money to spare)
7. And also note – there is no tax levy in Hong Kong, so do not ask if there’s Global Tax Refund (I felt like a total idiot – no, not even a bimbo – for asking that!)

Hope this will be a useful resource for the photography buffs out there… Do let me know if you have any resources/stories to share on photography shopping/great photography locations in Hong Kong too – I’ll add them to the list. And I’ll definitely be going back for more goodies! XOXO

22.396428 114.109497